Loyalty and Compliance

Let me give another twist to the term “loyalty.” Sometimes the word “loyalty” can be used to shape up others when leaders over a leader want “compliance.” Example I have served some great leaders in the past, men like Thomas Trask, Tom Greene and Vauldie Lambert. These men are incredible leaders, visionaries and full of integrity. Never once have I questioned their character. It was easy for me to give them my loyalty because I could trust them. When under Christ men live well and lead well they deserve loyalty.
Compliance is another thing all together in leadership. Compliance demanded by those who lead without integrity, without wisdom and without yielding to the consultation of their team is dangerous. In these situations the compliance should be a burden of the leader and not the team. If the leader cannot comply with the teams feelings then he should never expect the teams loyalty. Why, you might ask. Because we follow the Lord, righteousness and the Word of God. Our loyalty is to a higher source than the under-shepherds. We are not being disloyal by staying true to the higher source. We are all subject to Christ and we are His subjects. As a leader one has to line up with submission to leaders whom God places over us until that leader veers from submission to Christ. Then is when my loyalty to Christ can save or salvage my leader. If I humbly will correct a leader under Christ and over me when he errs and he will be compliant then he has earned my loyalty. 
All leaders make mistakes in judgement! I have never served one leader whom has not erred in decisions. What shows their greatness is how they respond when the results show a mistake has been made or others around them warn them of their mistakes. These men should be followed because they are leaders who follow a higher source than themselves. We are all under the Lord and all our compliance is to Him and loyalty to those who follow Christ. 
In a nutshell, followers should be loyal to leaders who are compliant to Christ! But when compliance to Christ and correction by others is absent then followers should place their loyalty to Christ and not in men. The Church belongs to Christ! We are the sheep of His pasture! The shepherds also belong to Christ and lead for Him and not themselves!

  

“Opps”

“Oops”
That day when you realize you have just come to a moment in life that you may have passed up opportunities that can never be reclaimed! All of us have those moments in life that we discover we missed something and the date to turn it around is lost. Sometimes in our visions for the future, our dreams of a better life and hard work we fail to see what we already have as precious. We never consider that reaching for something better could cause us to lose the best!
1. That day when I cannot tie my shoes because I can no longer reach them. Maybe I should have bought those robotic arm extenders? You mean I worked all my life for wealth and now I have to spend all my wealth to find health?
2. That day when I get the pink slip from the supervisor. Maybe I should have invested in some other revenue streams instead of those toys?
3. That day when you wake up and realize retirement age has arrived and you are still spending like a high schooler! Maybe you should have not thought you would never get old and still have need for food, shelter and clothes? I wonder if my kids mind if I move in?
4. That day when the automobile will not crank and the repairman says it is not repairable! Maybe I should have changed the oil and had it serviced? Maybe I should have saved some coins regular so I could purchase another one?
5. That day when you are facing a life tragedy and you have no one to support you through it! Maybe you should have been present with others through their moments of heartbreak so they would be close for yours?
6. That day when your parents or siblings have passed! Maybe you should have called or visited when you didn’t think you had the time? Now you are headed to a funeral and you made the time.
7. That day when you call your children and they don’t have time to call or answer the phone! Maybe you should not have worked so intensely and left them alone so many times? I mean if you treat them as if you don’t need to connect with them they should have never thought they would have believed that was true.
8. That day when the spouse leaves a note that they have decided to leave. Really, after all I have given you you are leaving me? Just because it seamed like my world revolved around work, hobbies, others and me you should have never thought I meant to leave you out! I thought your world revolved around me?
All of us have those days when we say, “Opps!” Some of the things in life which we have, must be nurtured to continue as a part of our life. They are just too important to risk something we have for something we want. Risking something eternal for something temporal is just not logical or sane! Happiness is the commitment to the things that mean the most while reaching for the things that make those things better. Never sacrifice what is important to gain the things which don’t matter! Your life’s best opportunities are those things which you never want to say,”Opps”, I missed that one!